The exploitation of a mine is a complex and expensive task. As technology advances, various tools are being used to enhance the different procedures in place in order to save costs, optimize efficiency, or improve the quality of the final product. Some examples of these new technologies are autonomous drills, which are used to bore holes into hard materials, and which do not require an operator to handle the drill during the drilling task. Another example is the use of autonomous trucks, which require no driver and therefore significantly cut down the human resources required for the exploitation of the mine.
While these new resources help in addressing very specific problems associated with the exploitation of the mine, their presence causes new problems related to the overall process and the integration of these new tools into the system.
Therefore there is a need for better integration of old and new resources within the existing mine exploitation procedures, as well as enhancing the use of new resources and tools that are emerging due to advances in technology.
Similar needs exist in other areas of technology involving the extraction of a resource from a surrounding environment, for example in forestry and agricultural applications and in other areas such as analysis of oceans in maritime applications.